a wafer: a road book and directory: a county history minus the cover: and the mortal remains of a trout in a glass coffin"? One could run on in pleasant remembrances of these beautiful and delightful places by the hour, but one imagines that even the most hardened political teetotaller must really know all about them, and perhaps in his dreams strolls into "The Marquis of Granby" and sips his glass of reeking hot pine-apple rum and water with a slice of lemon in it, and awakens to the horrible imagination that his astral body has wandered instinctively into a manifestation of his master and leader, the incomparable Stiggins. One very noticeable matter about any old-world book in which inns are faithfully pictured is that in former days there was a real race of English innkeepers, independent licensed victuallers, not mere brewers' managers. There are still a few remaining with us who keep up the old traditions, but the political forces of brewers and teetotallers have squeezed this excellent race of public servants almost wholly out of existence. You remember the Six-Jolly-Fellowship-Porters whose bar was "a bar to soften the human breast" with its "corpulent little casks and cordial bottles radiant with fictitious grapes in bunches and lemons in nets and biscuits in baskets, and polite beer-pulls that made low bows when customers were served with beer." How could there have been such an ideal haven for the weary porters but for the sole proprietor and manager, Miss Abbey Potterson, whose dignity and firmness were a tradition of the riverside? And then the dressing down she gave Rogue Riderhood. "But you know, Miss Potterson," this was suggested very meekly though, "if I behave myself you can't help serving me, miss." "_Can't I!_" said Abbey with infinite expression. "No, Miss Potterson; because you see the law----" "I am the law here, my man," returned Miss Abbey, "and I'll soon convince you of that if you doubt it at all." "I never said I did doubt it at all, Miss Abbey." "So much the better for you." And how much better not only for Rogue Riderhood, but for all of us, if we could once again make licensed victualling a great and respectable trade, and once again have a race of people managing businesses that they could really take a pride in.